Archive for July, 2013

I’ve written about TASC and their great clothing made from proprietary bamboo fabrics several times. In fact, my favorite T-shirts are TASC Carrollton. For a long time I’ve hopes that they’d offer these in Desert Sand and finally they are available. I cannot recommend the TASC Carrollton enough. With raglan sleeves, flat seams and a comfortable, loose fit, the Carrollton has seen me through many an active day. The bamboo fibers have an inherent ability to wick moisture and is antimicrobial. Additionally, it is very breathable and comfortable against the skin. Because these properties are at the fiber level, they won’t wash out.

Below is the Hybrid Fitted Short Sleeve which integrates flow mesh panels for cooling and is more of an active wear piece.

Sure, it’s still only day 1 of OR but I’ve got to say that this is the most innovative product I’ve seen so far this year. Think of it…instant beer. Instant, carbonated beer, no less. Pat’s Backcountry Beer comes in a foil packet and its a simple process of adding water, carbonating the mixture and then stepping back and enjoying a glass of beer. The first two beers to hit the scene in September are the Pale Ale and Black IPA with many more to follow. I tried the Pale Ale. It looks like beer, smells like beer and tastes like beer. It’s beer! From a foil packet.

If there is any limiting factor, it is in my opinion that you have to use their carbonator bottle. This is because it is a pressure vessel with a round bottom like the old 2 lt soda bottles. You can attach a standard water filter to the top, but you can’t screw one of their eco2 Activator lids to a standard Nalgene bottle. Not a big deal, but its something to know.

In addition to the beer, they also make several instant sodas including Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Lemon Lime, Pomegranate and Cola.

The 941 Travelmate Kit caught my eye awhile back on Amazon and I was glad to finally get a chance to take a look at it. It is a three component system that includes a spreader knife with integrated serrations on the wide blade. It can cut a tomato or spread peanut butter. As Stephanie Young, Buck’s marketing manager said, “It slices dices, cuts and serves.” The handles are made from Dishwasher safe Paperstone handles that are made of up of 100% recycled paper.

The Fork incorporates Can opener, Bottle opener and Scraping tool for grill or stove. Finally, the molded Sheath incorporates about $3 worth of microbial silver nitride to help ensure your utensils aren’t a breeding ground for gunk.

By now you’ve seen the viral video by Tactical Distributors of Uber Group’s DK detailing the various functions of the fictional Urban Cloak. But what if it was a real product?

I just had a discussion here at OR with some of the folks on the Arc’teryx LEAF team (ok, it was Marc’teryx and someone else) about making a real cloak/cape.

Here was my pitch in a nutshell.

Arc’teryx employees have been manufacturing capes for Vancouver’s homeless in their free time for years as part of the Nest project. Made from scrap fabric, these cloaks provide rudimentary shelter for their wearers.

Every time I mention these cloaks, readers want to purchase them. So why not make a limited run of these simple garments that can be wrapped around wearer and gear? Make them in Urban Wolf or Crocodile and do a two-for -one deal. For every Cloak purchased through LEAF, a Cloak will be donated to a homeless Veteran.

Granted, they aren’t quite the same thing, but the this project would provide an item that the market has asked for and also provide some support to our brothers and sisters who aren’t doing so well. So what do you guys think?

Liberty Bottleworks manufactures Made in USA aluminum water bottles. In fact, they make the KCRF bottles sold through Tactical Distributors. They can apply virtually any artwork to the bottles, which caught the eyes of some Army SF guys and next thing you know, they’re making bottles for the numbered Groups. Now, they’re even making bottles for USASOC to be used as reenlistment gifts. And this trend isn’t confined to just Army SOF.

This service is available for any unit or organization looking for a unique, branded item that is also practical. What’s more, they won’t sell them to anyone else but your group.

I am sure you are familiar with PROFORCE EQUIPMENT, the exclusive importer of seven brands of clothing and equipment including Snygpak, Multimat and Wildo. You’ve seen their military gear but the big story is that they are expanding civilian color options for their lines.

For example, the Wildo line of BPA-free personal campware. Notice the new colors for commercial use.

They’ve also introduced some colorful options for the multimat line of sleeping mats. Likewise, the sleeping bags are also available in red, green and blue.